Hahn claimed, “Transportation congestion is strangling the business potential of our state and weighing down the economic activity that isn’t just critical to the success of California, but to the nation as a whole.”

McCarthy countered that the money allocated for the railroad would be better spent elsewhere:

There are concerns about the business plan itself, and equally concerning to me, just because we’ve invested money, does it mean we have to invest more? Maybe we say, “No, we’re not gonna fund any more, and the savings should go to pay down our deficit.”

McCarthy warned that another $38 billion of taxpayer money would be required to finish the rail line, after nearly $8 billion has been spent already.